Cleaning Robot Floor Sensing for Carpet Detection and Wet-Pad Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cleaning robots struggle to effectively differentiate between carpeted and non-carpeted areas, leading to potential wetting of carpets during wet-mopping operations.
Innovation Solution
The cleaning robot is equipped with a floor sensing sensor and a wet cleaning module, allowing it to pause wet cleaning operations when on carpet and resume when transitioning to a non-carpeted area based on a reference distance, using sensors to adjust driving direction and suction force accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cleaning robot performs wet cleaning operations continuously, then cleaning productivity is improved, but carpets may be wetted causing harmful effects
Solution Approach 1:
The floor sensing sensor detects carpeted areas in advance before the cleaning pad reaches them. The controller receives the detection signal and pauses wet cleaning operations preemptively, preventing carpet wetting before it occurs. This allows the robot to maintain continuous movement and cleaning productivity while avoiding harmful wetting effects.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the cleaning robot pauses wet cleaning operations frequently to avoid carpet wetting, then carpet wetting is prevented, but cleaning productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The floor sensing sensor continuously provides feedback signals to the controller about the current floor surface type. The controller automatically adjusts wet cleaning operations in real-time based on this feedback, pausing only when carpet is detected and resuming when hard flooring is detected. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic adaptation that prevents carpet wetting while minimizing interruptions to maintain cleaning productivity.
3Measurement precision
If the cleaning robot uses a floor sensing sensor to detect carpet areas, then carpet detection precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensing systems with optical or electromagnetic floor sensing sensors that detect carpeted areas through light reflection or other non-contact methods. This substitution achieves high carpet detection precision while adding minimal complexity to the device, as the sensors can be integrated into the existing robot structure without requiring mechanical modifications.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a cleaning robot for sensing and cleaning a floor and a control method of the cleaning robot. The cleaning robot may include a floor sensing sensor, a wet cleaning module, at least one memory storing one or more instructions, and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor may be configured to, by executing the one or more instructions stored in the memory, pause driving of the wet cleaning module and perform pad-up of a cleaning pad, when the cleaning robot is located on a carpet, and resume driving of the wet cleaning module and perform pad-down of the cleaning pad, when a floor is sensed through the floor sensing sensor while moving along a driving path, based on moving a reference distance to the floor along the driving path.